Ekrem İmamoğlu: 'In this local election, you will receive such a democratic slap...'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended the opening ceremony of the Vira Junction in Beylikdüzü.

Speaking at the event, İmamoğlu stated that the AKP government has not supported or approved his projects, declaring, "In this local election, you will receive such a democratic slap... You will be forced to sign those documents."

Highlights from Ekrem İmamoğlu’s speech are as follows:

"We are overcoming the obstacles; we have succeeded in tearing down that wall. By tearing down that wall, you bring services to the citizens. The Ministry of Transport used to collect the money for a metro line it built for the IMM over 15–20 years. Because at that time, the regulation allowed for collection based on the ticket revenue. When we took office, they issued a circular to take over the metro lines, saying, 'We have taken the right to deduct 5 liras from every 100 liras sent to Istanbul.' In just 10 months, they took 5 billion liras from us for 2 metro lines. In 10–11 months... They took 2 years' worth of the Beylikdüzü budget from us in 10 months. No matter what they do, they cannot make us bow our heads. We do our work ethically. We focus on our work with the responsibility of being a public official.

As soon as we took office, we took their projects and made revisions. We made savings revisions. We also requested the Sefaköy–İncirli section. The Ministry of Transport wrote a letter saying, 'We will not give it.' We found the loans by setting out from the Sefaköy–İncirli section. We signed the preliminary protocols. For a year and a half, it has been just a pen and ink... You are not even a guarantor. They won't sign. Why? To victimize Ekrem... You are not blocking Ekrem; you are blocking 4 million people. But this local election will end. You will receive such a democratic slap that you will be forced to sign."

REACTION TO TRT AND ANADOLU AGENCY: THEY ARE VIOLATING THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE

On the other hand, İmamoğlu reacted to the fact that he is not given coverage in TRT and Anadolu Agency broadcasts.

"You can find at least 50 broadcasts where they ask questions against me and cover some of Istanbul's district municipalities," said İmamoğlu, adding, "They are violating the rights of the people. Our people curse those who violate their rights, but I do not; I leave them all to God."

News Source: 12punto